glover



1956 w. c. GLOVER, JR

GARMENT FINISHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16, 1952 2 1956 w.c. GLOVER, JR

GARMENT FINISHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 16, 1952 IIIUnited States Patent C) GARMENT FINISHING MACHINE William C. Glover,Jr., Kansas City, Mo.

Application June 16, 1952, Serial No. 293,779

Claims. (Cl. 223-70) This invention relates to machines for processingand finishing garments and refers more particularly to machines forprocessing and finishing garments in which the processing and finishingis accomplished with steam and heated air.

A garment being finished on this type of machine is supported from ahanger above a heated air blast which balloons out the garment forcingdrying air through the fabric to remove solvent odors and wrinkles,raise the nap of the fabric and return shape to the garment after it hasbeen run through the cleaning operation.

It is desirable at this time to have available a suitable spotting gunfor treating and feathering spots and stains. This gun should be able toproduce both concentrated and diffuse jets of steam. Also, if the airheating medium is steam, it is useful and economical to unite the steamlines for the air heating and spotting apparatus thus simplifying thesteam fittings in the vicinity of the machine. This combination createsthe problem of where and how to tap the incoming or outgoing steam linesso that the steam applied to the garments with the spotting gun will notbe so excessively heated as to damage the garments or so wet as toexcessively dampen and soil them. Still another problem is to provideclamping means for the hem of the garment which permit the hot air blastto reach and dry the hem while the hem is being firmly held; otherwise,the hem will remain unfinished and will later have to be hand-processed.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a garment finishingmachine with clamping means for the hem of the garment which permitsheated air to reach and dry the hem.

Another object is to provide a garment finishing machine with asteam-heated source of hot air and a spotting gun connected to the steamdischarge line from the steamheated source.

A further object is to provide a garment finishing machine with aspotting gun which will produce both concentrated and diffuse jets ofsteam.

Other and further objects of this invention will appear from thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the instantspecification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, there isshown an embodiment of the invention, and in the various views likereference numerals are used to indicate like parts.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a finishing machine embodying theinvention,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view showing the steam coil and fanassembly used for heating the drying air,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the top of the machineillustrating the hem-holding brushes,

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the outlet pipe of the steam-heatingcoil,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of the steam spotting gun shown in Fig.1,

Fig. 6 is a view taken along the lines 6-6 of Fig. 5 in the direction ofthe arrows,

25,735,595 Patented Feb. 21, 1956 e CC Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional viewtaken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6 in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken along the line 8-8 ofFig. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings, It) refers to the chassis of a garment finishingmachine. A tapered open-top cowling 11 is rotatably mounted in the topof the chassis 10 in a manner best understood from Figs. 3 and 8. Aswill be seen from these figures, the upper end of chassis 10 has aninternal spider comprising radial arms 12a; the cowling 11 has a similarspider comprising the arms 12b radiating from a hub which is pivoted onthe lower spider at 12c. A ring 13 is fixedly mounted within the opentop of the cowling and spaced inwardly from the cowling rim in suchmanner that part of its surface protrudes above the top. A plurality ofclamping brushes 14 with handles 14a are mounted on the outside ofcowling 11 and a plurality of brush buffers 15 are attached to theoutside of ring 13. The brushes 14 and buffers 15 are correspondinglyspaced in circumferential arrangement on the cowling and ringrespectively. The brushes are pivoted at their cowling mountings tofrictionally engage and disengage the buffers and are preferably arcuatein shape to conform with the surface of the bufiers. In Fig. 1 is shownthe lower part of a rod support 16 from which the garments aresuspended.

Within the chassis 10 is a steam-heated source of hot air shown in Fig.2 as a steam coil 17 with a fan 18 below the coil to circulate airthereover. An electrical switch control for the fan is shown at 19. Thecoil has an inlet pipe 20 and an outlet pipe 21. A vertical T-fitting 22is connected to outlet pipe 21 shortly after the pipe leaves thechassis. A discharge pipe 23 is connected to the lower end of the T anda. spotting gun assembly is connected to the upper end through valve 24and hose 25.

The spotting gun assembly has an open-ended steam tube 26 with adiffusion chamber extension 27. Surrounding the rearward portion of thetube and fixed thereto is an insulating handle 28. A piston valve 29with an axial duct 30 is slidable in the diffusion chamber and isadapted to seat at the rearward end thereof. The piston is tapered atits rearward seating end and is funnelshaped at its forward dischargeend. There are spacing members 31 on the periphery of the piston formingan annular space between the piston and diffusion chamber walls. Atrigger lever attachment for actuating the piston has a yoke 32connected to the funnel end of the piston and encircling the back oftrigger 33, said trigger pivoted on a flanged plate 34 mounted on therear of the diffusion chamber.

In operation, the garment is attached to the top of rod support 16 andthe hem is gripped circumferentially upon the ring 13 between thebrushes 14 and buffers 15. Then fan 18 is turned on which circulates airpast steam coil 17 through which steam is circulating. This heated airblast balloons the garment providing a drying action which removessolvent odors and wrinkles, raises the nap of the fabric and returnsshape to the garment. Due to the inset position of ring 13 within thethroat of the cowling and the open-bristle construction of the grippingbrushes, the drying air circulates through the hem of the garment andaffords a complete finishing to the hem as well as to the body of thegarment.

The garment is then inspected for spots or stains by rotating cowling 11on the spider. If necessary, the operator will use the steam gun toremove and feather out any spots present. A single supply of steam tothe steam coil and to the spotting gun with the resultant reduction andsimplification of the steam fittings in the vicinity of the chassis isachieved by the insertion of T-fitting 22 on the outlet pipe 21. Thelive steam discharged from the steam coil is tapped from the top of thefitting by through steam tube 26. and directly into the axial duct 30.

of the piston 29, thus producing a concentrated jet of steam whichissues from the funneled end of the piston. When trigger 33 isunretracted, the force of the steam passing through tube 26 acts. on therear of the piston and unseats it moving it forward in the diffusionchamher. This permits steam to pass. through the annular space betweenthe piston and the diffusion chamber walls issuing at the forward end ofthe difiusion chamber. Thus, when trigger 33 is. in its unretractedposition, steam will issue both from the duct 30 of the piston and fromthe diffusion chamber outside of the piston, producing a diffused jet ofsteam. It should he noted that valve 24. is used to start or stop theflow of steam while the actuation of the trigger 33 merely produces aconcentrated or diffused jet of steam.

When the iinishin and spotting operations are completed, valve 24 isclosed and the fan 18 is shut oif. The brushes 14 may then be backed offfrom the buffers 15. by actuating handles 14a and the hem of the garmentdisengaged from the ring.

A garment finishing machine has thus been provided With clamping membersfor the hem of the garment. which permits the heated air blast from thefinishing machineto reach and dry the hem.

A garment finishing machine has also been provided with a steam-heatedsource of hot air and spotting gun connected to the steam discharge linefrom the steamheated source.

In addition, a garment finishing machine has been provided with aspotting gun which will produce both concentrated and difiused jets ofsteam.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one Welladapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and. subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without. reference to other features andsubcomhinations. This is ontemplated by and. is w thi he. scope of theclaims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention withoutdeparting firom the scope thereof, it is to be understood that allmatter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

I. A holding device for the lower extremity of a garment processed in agarment finishing machine comprising an open-top cowling rotatablymounted on said machine, a ring fixedly mounted within'the cowling, aplurality of clamping brushes mounted on the outside of the cowling anda plurality of brush butters attached to the outside of the ring andcooperating with the brushes to hold the lower hem of the garment.

2. A holding device for the lower extremity of a garment processed in agarment finishing machine comprising an open-top cowling rotatablymounted on said machine, a spider for supporting the cowling on themachine, a ring fixedly mounted within the cowling and inset withrespect to the cowling rim, a plurality of clamping brushes on theoutside of the cowling and a plurality of brush butters on the outerface of the ring attached in opposition to the brushes and cooperatingwith the brushes to hold the lower hem of the garment.

'3. A holding device as in claim 1 wherein the brushes and buffers arein spaced circumferential arrangement on the cowling and ringrespectively.

4. A holding 'device as in claim 1 wherein the brushes are pivoted onthe cowling to frictionally engage and disengage the buffers.

5 A holding device as in claim l wherein the brushes are arcuate inshape to conform with the arcuate surface of. the buffers.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,468,541 Nagues Sept. 18, 1923 1,659,097 Gygi Feb. 14, 1928 2,119,057Richa May 31, 1938 2,213,288 Pnngor Sept. 9, 1940 2,241,702 Glover May13, 1941 2,417,838 Paris Mar. 25, 1947 2,436,255 Glover Feb. 17, 19482,443,557 Fitpold June 15, 1948 2,564,818 Schwartz Aug. 21, 1951

